Search form

You are here

Type 2 diabetes

The decision to screen for diabetes may seem an easy one to make as the condition is common, expensive, chronic and with a prognosis highly dependent on the correct treatment. On the other hand, there is a general lack of adequate screening tools, lack of knowledge regarding appropriate treatment, uncertainties regarding economic consequences and a total lack of knowledge regarding the psychological consequences of screening. Studies focusing on these issues should, therefore, be performed before systematic screening can be recommended.

When he left home to attend his regular diabetes clinic, Ray Msengana was already feeling unwell. But when he was told that the treatment of his Type 2 diabetes was to change from tablets to insulin therapy, he rapidly felt a lot worse. In this candid account of life with diabetes, Ray Msengana describes the affective impact of the condition, and makes a call for changes in the way diabetes is managed.

The 37th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) from 9-13 September, hosted by Diabetes UK, was the biggest meeting of the EASD to date. Ten thousand people in total attended the array of satellite symposia, lectures, poster sessions and the exhibition. However, the news of the terrorist attack in New York, shocking to everyone, dampened proceedings and caused logistical chaos for the American delegation. Following is a brief overview of some of the many interesting topics presented at the meeting.

While stress has long been considered an important factor in Type 2 diabetes, there has been very little experimental evidence to show how it might affect the development of the disease. This article looks at recent research evidence which demonstrates the relationship between stress and the onset and course of Type 2 diabetes and describes how simple stress management techniques can have a significant impact on long-term diabetes control.

Diabetes is the commonest non-communicable disease worldwide. Researchers predict it will increase by around 160% by the year 2025. Sadly, most of this increase will occur in developing countries, which have the least resources to deal with the problem. Even in the most developed countries, health systems are struggling to meet demands for services. In recent years, this has led to a strong focus on prevention research.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the USA has labelled diabetes 'the epidemic of our time'. Indeed, diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death by disease in the USA, with 75% of diabetes-related deaths attributable to cardiovascular disease. According to the US Office of Minority Health, the prevalence of diabetes among African-Americans is about 70% higher than in Caucasians, and the prevalence in Hispanics is nearly double that of Caucasians. Currently it is estimated that 2.3 million African-Americans and 1.2 million Hispanics have Type 2 diabetes in the USA alone.

In January 2000, the Development Programme for the Prevention and Care of Diabetes 2000-2010 (DEHKO) was officially approved as Finland's national diabetes programme. The first audit of the programme in 2003 has reported that the implementation process is well underway in both primary and specialized healthcare. The atmosphere among healthcare providers is positive and enthusiastic, and the word DEHKO is now firmly established in the lexicon of diabetes care in Finland.

So-called 'late onset diabetes' is now more widely termed Type 2 diabetes. And for very good reasons. It was previously the case that childhood and adolescent diabetes was nearly exclusively Type 1 diabetes and that Type 2 diabetes very rarely affected the young. Sadly, this is no longer true. As the spread of 'westernized' lifestyles gives rise to a steep increase in rates of obesity worldwide, Type 2 diabetes is rapidly emerging among children and adolescents.

Type 2 diabetes increases the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) between two- and six-fold, and shortens life expectancy by 5 to 10 years. Once a person with diabetes has developed severe vascular complications, they will

Until recently, randomized clinical trials offered only limited proof that Type 2 diabetes is preventable by changes in lifestyle. Fortunately, this gap has now been filled. Several major lifestyle intervention trials have been successfully completed. The results are consistent: the risk of Type 2 diabetes can be halved in people who are at high risk; the effect of lifestyle change is rapid; the lifestyle changes required to achieve a significant risk reduction do not have to be drastic; and benefits are similar in different ethnic groups.